Vincent van Gogh is widely celebrated as a pioneer of modern art—a master of color, movement, and raw emotion. But beyond his iconic Starry Night or Sunflowers, there’s a treasure trove of quirky and unexpected details that make Van Gogh even more fascinating. From eating paint to obsessively writing letters, Van Gogh’s eccentric behavior offers a deeper—and often surprising—window into the mind behind the masterpieces.
In this article, we explore a curated list of quirky Van Gogh facts that make his art not just beautiful, but unbelievably human. These stories add layers to his legacy and highlight how the artist’s peculiar habits helped shape some of the most emotional paintings in history.
1. He Ate Paint—and Thought It Would Cheer Him Up
Van Gogh’s mental health struggles were no secret. During one of his episodes at the asylum in Saint-Rémy, he attempted to eat yellow paint, believing it would bring happiness from the inside out. It sounds bizarre, but to Van Gogh, color had emotional power—and yellow symbolized joy.
Thankfully, doctors intervened before he could consume dangerous amounts. This strange act shows how deeply he connected emotion to color, both on canvas and in life.
2. He Loved Absinthe, the “Green Fairy”
Van Gogh was known to enjoy absinthe—a highly alcoholic, bitter drink popular among bohemian artists in 19th-century France. It was believed to stimulate creativity but was also linked to hallucinations and addiction.
Many historians speculate that his heavy drinking contributed to his mental instability and may have even intensified the swirling visual distortions seen in his later works, like The Starry Night.
3. He Signed His Paintings Only as “Vincent”
Unlike most artists who signed their full names or initials, Van Gogh simply wrote “Vincent” in bold letters. Why? He feared people would mispronounce “Van Gogh”, and he wanted to be approachable.
This choice humanizes him. He wasn’t painting for grandeur—he painted from a place of connection and sincerity.
4. He Had a Deep Obsession with Shoes
Van Gogh painted multiple still-life paintings of worn-out shoes. To him, shoes weren’t just objects—they symbolized life’s journey, hardship, and character.
In letters, he described finding a pair of boots at a flea market and deliberately muddying them up just to paint them more authentically. That’s commitment to gritty realism!
5. He Was a Terrible Art Student
Although Van Gogh is now revered, he actually failed his entrance exam to art school and later dropped out of formal training. He disliked rigid academic rules and preferred to study on his own terms.
In many ways, this worked to his advantage—his unorthodox technique and expressive freedom broke from convention and helped shape modern art.
6. He Once Tried to Become a Preacher
Before painting, Van Gogh attempted to follow in his father’s footsteps as a Protestant preacher. He moved to a poor mining town in Belgium and tried to live among the working class, even giving away all his belongings to miners.
The church authorities eventually dismissed him for being too extreme, but the experience profoundly influenced his early work, especially The Potato Eaters, which captures rural hardship with honesty and compassion.
7. He Had an Unusual Love Life
Van Gogh’s romantic life was turbulent and unconventional. He once fell in love with his cousin, who rejected him harshly. He also had relationships with sex workers, whom he sometimes painted and cared for emotionally and financially.
His longing for connection and his struggle with intimacy often made their way onto his canvases in the form of lonely portraits and emotional still lifes.
8. He Loved Japanese Culture (and Decorated His Studio Like It)
Van Gogh was fascinated with Japanese prints and considered them the purest form of art. He hung them in his studio, imitated their style, and even once declared, “I envy the Japanese artists.”
He painted Japanese-themed portraits and landscapes with flat color planes and bold outlines, integrating these elements into his own expressive technique.
Explore similar styles in our Expressionist Wall Art Prints.
9. He Often Painted at Lightning Speed
When inspired, Van Gogh could finish a painting in a single afternoon. His brushwork was impulsive and energetic, sometimes even squeezing paint directly onto the canvas. He once said, “I put my heart and soul into my work and have lost my mind in the process.”
He was known to forgo meals or sleep during painting binges, driven by an overwhelming urge to capture emotion and movement in real time.
10. He Thought His Work Was Useless
Despite his extraordinary talent, Van Gogh often doubted his own worth. He described his paintings as “worthless” in letters to Theo and sometimes referred to himself as a failure.
Tragically, he never knew how influential he would become. His humility and inner torment make his success today feel both poetic and heartbreaking.
11. He Believed Artists Were Like Candles
In one of his letters, Van Gogh compared himself to a candle that burns brightly but briefly. He believed artists sacrificed themselves for beauty, burning up their energy to bring light to the world. He saw art as an act of spiritual devotion, not just craft.
12. He Slept Very Little—and Painted Even Less at Night
Ironically, despite painting The Starry Night, Van Gogh didn’t usually paint after dark. He suffered from insomnia, and while the sky was a recurring theme in his work, he preferred sketching from memory or observing the sky in the early morning from his window.
The Starry Night wasn’t painted outdoors but from his imagination while confined in an asylum room.
13. He Used Color as Emotional Language
To Van Gogh, color was not about realism—it was a way to express emotion. He would deliberately use contrasting and unnatural combinations, like:
- Red and green to show tension
- Yellow and blue to create serenity or hope
- Purples and browns to signal decay
This color language is why his art resonates so deeply, even with modern viewers.
14. He Painted on Everything—Even Old Canvases
Van Gogh was constantly short on money. To save, he painted over old works, used discarded fabric, and made his own canvases from scratch.
Modern X-rays have revealed multiple hidden paintings underneath some of his famous pieces—a quirky and practical reminder of his resourcefulness.
15. He Was Inspired by the Smallest Details
Van Gogh found beauty in the mundane—a blade of grass, a single flower, or an old chair. He once spent hours painting his empty bedroom, not for aesthetic reasons, but to show comfort and solitude.
His art teaches us that everything—no matter how ordinary—can be a source of wonder.
Conclusion: Genius in the Quirks
Vincent van Gogh was far more than a tragic genius or a master of color. He was quirky, impulsive, obsessive, and deeply human. These eccentricities weren’t side notes—they were fuel for the emotional power in his work.
Understanding his quirks adds a new dimension to his paintings. Every stroke is layered not only with color and movement but also with personal stories, unique beliefs, and the kind of creative spirit that defies norms.
Want to bring that expressive energy into your space?
Explore Van Gogh–inspired canvas prints:
Let Van Gogh’s quirks live on—not just in museums, but on your walls.
